Difference Between Intrusive and Obtrusive

The main difference between intrusive and obtrusive is that intrusive means invading someone’s personal space and making someone feel annoyed and uncomfortable, while obtrusive means being noticeable or prominent in an unwelcome and unpleasant way. 

Both intrusive and obtrusive are adjectives that describe people or things that interfere. There is a subtle difference between intrusive and obtrusive. An intrusive person is someone who involves himself into others’ affairs of others, but not necessarily in a way that calls attention to himself. An obtrusive person, on the other hand, is someone who calls attention to himself.

Key Areas Covered

1. What Does Intrusive Mean
    – Definition, Characteristics, Examples
2. What Does Obtrusive Mean
    – Definition, Characteristics, Examples
3. What is the Difference Between Intrusive and Obtrusive
    – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Intrusive, Obtrusive

What Does Intrusive Mean

We use the adjective intrusive to describe someone or something that invades personal space, in a way that annoys us and makes us feel uncomfortable. It is defined as “causing disruption or annoyance through being unwelcome or uninvited”. A person who constantly comes over to your house uninvited and offers you advice about everything is an example of an intrusive person. If someone asks questions about your personal life, that’s intrusive behaviour. Another example of intrusive behaviour is paparazzi hounding celebrities.

Figure 1: Paparazzi often shows intrusive behaviour

However, intrusive behaviour can be accidental or unintentional. For example, you may unknowingly enter a room where two people are having a private conversation. In this instance, they might find you intrusive.

Let’s look at some example sentences to understand the meaning and usage of this adjective more clearly.

No one likes her because she always asks intrusive questions.

I felt that my presence there was intrusive, so I came back.

She found the advertisements intrusive and turned off the television.

He closed his eyes against the intrusive brightness.

What Does Obtrusive Mean

Obtrusive is an adjective that means noticeable or prominent in an unwelcome way. If you use this adjective to describe a person, then you are describing someone noticeable in an unpleasant way. For example, think of a rude and pushy person trying to cut to the front of a line, or a person who answers his phone loudly during an important meeting.  We can also use this object to describe objects -a branch of a tree blocking the road, a big mole on the nose, etc. Basically, obtrusive is someone or something that sticks out, like a sore thumb.

Figure 2: Some found the tower too large and obtrusive.

Let’s look at some example sentences to understand the meaning and usage of this adjective more clearly.

The teacher deemed the child’s behaviour obtrusive.

He found the graffiti obtrusive.

I think he is an unpleasant and obtrusive person who should be fired immediately.

The tower was large and obtrusive.

The waitress was attentive without being obtrusive.

Difference Between Intrusive and Obtrusive

Definition

Intrusive means causing disruption or annoyance through being unwelcome or uninvited, while obtrusive means being noticeable or prominent in an unwelcome and unpleasant way. 

Behaviour

An intrusive person usually invades our personal space, in a way that annoys us and makes us feel uncomfortable while an obtrusive person draws your attention as he/she sticks out in an unpleasant way.

Attention

An intrusive person does not necessarily behave in a way that calls attention to himself. An obtrusive person, on the other hand, is someone who calls attention to himself.

Perceptive

When you call someone intrusive, you are the recipient of the intrusive person’s interference or attention, but when you call someone obtrusive, you are not necessarily the recipient of the obtrusive person’s attention. For example, if someone asks you too personal questions, you might find that person intrusive, while others in the room around you might find him obtrusive.

Conclusion

Intrusive means causing disruption or annoyance through being unwelcome or uninvited, while obtrusive means being noticeable or prominent in an unwelcome and unpleasant way. An intrusive person is someone who involves himself in others’ affairs of others, but not necessarily in a way that calls attention to himself. An obtrusive person, on the other hand, is someone who always calls attention to himself. This is the main difference between intrusive and obtrusive.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Woman walking taking photo by people” (CC0) via Piqcels
2. “2430” (CC0) via Pixabay